At this very moment, I have t-minus 11 hours until I leave Florida for Lancaster University, and as I sit here writing my first entry I am full of mixed emotions. My summer is ending. I have finished an amazing research opportunity and I have also come back from teaching at a summer camp. But as these past eventful weeks are coming to a close, I am also beginning one of the greatest adventures of my life. I have never traveled much outside the United States (once to Canada), but I am beyond thrilled to see the world. While I am excited, I am also incredibly nervous. Questions and insecurities keep running through my mind. Did I have all my passport information? Do I really need these shoes? Will I meet people I can travel with? Will I freeze?
When I initially decided to go Lancaster University, I quickly discovered that I was going to enjoy a more encompassing experience than I would have experienced by simply traveling. When I arrive tomorrow morning I will begin Lancaster University’s International Summer Program (ISP) which is a month long class/orientation that allows international students to become accustomed to the cultural of the United Kingdom. Then I know I have two weeks of traveling and exploring. Having truly never traveled before, this is part of my time abroad I am looking forward to the most. Then, the beginning of October is when the fall semester officially starts. Despite all the time ISP will spend preparing us for what to expect this fall, I think I will be in for an adventure I have never experienced before.